Taking us from the turn of the 20th century to our present day, from the impoverished streets of rural Mexico to the manicured lawns of suburban Connecticut, from the hot and dusty air of an isolated ranch to New York City in the wake of 9/11, Philip Caputo gives us an impeccably crafted story about three generations of an Arizona family forced to confront the violence and loss that have become its inheritance.

When Gil Castle loses his wife in the Twin Tower attacks, he retreats to his family's sprawling homestead in a remote corner of the Southwest. Consumed by grief, he has to find a way to live with his loss in this strange, forsaken part of the country, where drug lords have more power than police and violence is a constant presence. But it is also a world of vast open spaces, where Castle begins to rebuild his belief in the potential for happiness - until he starts to uncover the dark truths about his fearsome grandfather, a legacy that has been tightly shrouded in mystery in the years since the old man's death.

When Miguel Espinoza shows up at the ranch, terrified after two friends were murdered in a border-crossing drug deal gone bad, Castle agrees to take him in. Yet his act of generosity sets off a flood of violence and vengeance, a fierce reminder of the fact that, while he may be able to reinvent himself, he may never escape his history.

Listener Opinions

by Karen | 2/11/2014

" Caputo is a skillful writer and knows how to weave a tale. I've always enjoyed his books and the way they deal with pressing issues - in this case the border/drug wars of the southwest. His one fault though, is going overboard with the action. It's larger than life and too much like an action movie. His woman characters also lack round edges, they read as types. I'm willing to forgave all that because he does setting so well and makes headlines come alive vividly. This book was especially well-drawn when dealing with the frontier times of the border - and making the old west parallel the new. I enjoyed it, even when I felt a more subtle touch would have served the novel better. "

by Ron | 2/4/2014

" Good story that deals with the dangerous life led by ranchers on along the Arizona - Mexico border and its effects on two generations of a cattle ranching family dealing with drug and human trafficers using their rangeland to cross into the U.S. A pretty good read. "

by Tim | 1/12/2014

" An intriguing and shocking tale about a three generations of a family of Arizona ranchers living on the border with Mexico. The story highlights the history and porosity of the border, the intertwining of two cultures, and the current nightmare that exists today. A huge narco-drug subculture, complete with, wealth, greed, power, violence and religious pinnings imposed on the top of another subculture of desperate, brave, and powerless "wets" striving to reach a land with opportunity. Both are confronting a haphazard superpower culture that swats annoyingly at excesses of both streams of trafficking but apparently not concerned enough at either to pay sustained attention. In between are the rancher citizens living legacy occupation that seems unrelated and ill suited to the border tensions flooding past them. "

by Gary Glynn | 1/3/2014

" I've been a fan of Caputo's A Rumor of War for decades, but I hadn't read any of his other books until this one came along. An excellent novel of the drug violence on the Southwest border. "

" The first part drags a bit, but is necessary. I almost stopped reading, glad i didn't "

J. Gray | 12/13/2013

" An engaging, well paced read. "

Naomi | 10/22/2013

" Very glad to be done with this book. I knew I was in trouble when I could only find things that annoyed me. Sorry! "

Kathleen Schuerger | 10/21/2013

" Another example of the border genre. A realistic picture of the Mexico/Arizona border. Assigns blame on both sides. Likens drug lords to terrorists. "

Ray Anderson | 6/24/2013

" Strong on setting. Good story of multi-generational families near the Mexican/USA border. Drugs, etc. "

Peter Carlisle | 4/4/2013

" Good, but lacked the raw power of some of Caputo's others, like Rumor of War and Acts of Faith. "

Steve | 4/1/2013

" Excellent multi-generational story told around by way of a ranching family on the Arizona-Mexico border. It's about love for others and love for the land and a way of life and about pride and allegiances as well as physical and emotional survival. "

Caryn | 2/1/2013

" It took awhile to get into this book but once I got hooked on the story of this family that lived on the Arizona Mexican border I wanted to know what happened next. The author wove a story of family history with repercussions and how they affected generations. "

Chris | 12/19/2012

" I am a real Caputo fan. He writes about the desert and barren places so that you can feel and smell them. Not everyone's cup of tea, I'm sure. His characters were interesting and the story spanned several generations. Very well-plotted. Violent and tension-filled. "

Sharon | 4/13/2012

" Pretty gritty book. Not a favorite. "

Iris | 2/8/2012

" Good book about the border. Really enjoyed reading about the area that I live. Am told by Patagonians that Phillip Caputo researched extensively. He lives here part time and had the ability to look at the history and current problems of the border crossers. "

Bob Peru | 1/9/2012

" up there with jim harrison for macho outdoor stuff with a few sensitive stuffs thrown in so it's all good. i loved this book. "

John | 12/27/2011

" Why not release it straight to mass market paperback? "

Mitzi | 9/20/2011

" Informative about what really goes on in these border towns and the drug and human traffickings "

Carol | 4/17/2011

" Took awhile to get into this book but after I figured out the relationship of all the characters, it became very interesting. Have never read anything about this part of the US - Arizona/Mexican border. Brutally violent in parts. Should make a good discussion book. "

Ron | 11/10/2010

" Good story that deals with the dangerous life led by ranchers on along the Arizona - Mexico border and its effects on two generations of a cattle ranching family dealing with drug and human trafficers using their rangeland to cross into the U.S. A pretty good read.
"

Karen | 10/19/2010

" Takes place in Nogales, Patagonia, San Rafael Valley. I swear I know the people in this book even though it's fiction! My country, my kind of book.
"

Chris | 8/28/2010

" I am a real Caputo fan. He writes about the desert and barren places so that you can feel and smell them. Not everyone's cup of tea, I'm sure. His characters were interesting and the story spanned several generations. Very well-plotted. Violent and tension-filled.
"

Sharon | 6/8/2010

" Pretty gritty book. Not a favorite.
"

Kathleen | 4/7/2010

" Another example of the border genre. A realistic picture of the Mexico/Arizona border. Assigns blame on both sides. Likens drug lords to terrorists.
"

Mitzi | 4/1/2010

" Informative about what really goes on in these border towns and the drug and human traffickings
"

Other Titles by Philip Caputo:

About the Author

Philip Caputo spent nine years as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, including five years as a foreign correspondent, and shared a Pulitzer Prize in 1972 for his reporting on election fraud in Chicago. In 1975 he was wounded in Beirut and during his convalescence completed the manuscript for A Rumor of War, his much acclaimed memoir about his service in Vietnam. He is the author of both fiction and nonfiction, including two memoirs. In addition, he has been a contributing editor for the New York Times magazine, Esquire, National Geographic, and several other publications. He divides his time between Connecticut and Arizona.

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